Birds
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British seabirds: how to identify and where to see
Our guide explores some of the UK's most common types of seabird, where they live and the best places to see them.
Heron vs Egret: how to spot the difference between these two (very similar) leggy, graceful birds with elongated necks
These elegant waders seem almost identical, but a few fundamental differences stand out between the grey heron and its white-feathered relatives, the egrets
It guzzles rats head-first and stabs its prey to death: Here's why the grey heron is king of the river
Stationary and silent, waiting for prey, the heron has become an increasingly common sight at the water’s edge. Mark Hillsdon explores this elegant hunter’s world
Raven vs crow: what's the difference between these birds and how can you tell them apart?
Do you know the difference between a carrion crow and a raven? Fergus Collins explains the difference between these similar-looking birds.
How do birds stay warm during winter? Discover the amazing secrets of feathers and how they keep birds toasty whatever the weather
Bestowing the gifts of flight and warmth, enabling birds to survive the frozen months, feathers are a marvel of nature. How do these amazing appendages work and how did they evolve? Ben Hoare reveals all
How do puffins manage to catch so many fish in one go?
Puffins are famed for carrying lots of fish in their mouths but how on Earth do they manage it? Mike Toms explains
Here's why scientists spent three years analysing 100,000 bird songs in an English wood
Bird communities’ songs change and evolve over time due to demographic changes, just like human dialects and musical traditions, according to a fascinating new study, reports Graeme Green
Birdlife more abundant on well-managed solar farms than on arable farmland, finds RSPB study
Researchers recorded nearly three times as many birds on solar farms managed with wildlife in mind as they did on adjacent arable land.
Guide to pigeons and doves in the UK: how to identify them and what's the difference
Five species of pigeon and dove can be found in the UK countryside – three common, two extremely rare. Find out more with our quick-fire guide
Bird's-eye view of London revealed in incredible aerial video
Spectacular footage shows the London cityscape from the perspective of a skein of barnacle geese.
Poetry in motion: elegance and beauty of the starling revealed in mesmerising video
See thousands of shape-shifting birds swirl around Brighton Pier at dusk.
"February is never dull if you’re a great crested grebe" – don't miss their sublime water ballet this month
The great crested grebe's stunning courtship performance culminates with the grebes holding waterweed in their bills and paddling furiously in an upright position parallel to one another, in almost perfect unison. Learn all about this majestic waterbird – including what it looks like, breeding and nesting habitats, UK habitat and distribution – with your expert birder's guide
Spoonbill vs common crane: What's the difference between these leggy and elegant waterbirds?
Do you know your spoonbills from your common crane? Carys McMillan from the Wildlife Trusts.explains the differences between these leggy and elegant waterbirds?
Guide to Britain's geese species: how to identify and where to see
Geese are a familiar sight in the UK's estuaries, marshes and wetlands, particularly in autumn and winter. Learn all about these majestic birds, including identification tips, migration patterns and the best places to see them in the UK.
Starling murmuration guide: why and when they happen and best places to see one in the UK
What is a murmuration and when do they happen? Our expert guide explains the science behind starling murmurations and the best places to see them in the UK.
Guide to tit species in the UK: how to identify and where to see these charismatic birds
Learn more about the different types of tit species in Britain and how to tell them apart with our ID guide, which includes blue tits, great tits, crested tits, willow tits, long-tailed tits, marsh tits and coal tits
How safe are garden bird feeders? Their threat to finches leads the RSPB to suspend sales of flat tables in wake of huge declines
Flat bird tables can spread deadly diseases that harm birds such as greenfinches and chaffinches, says the RSPB.
Big Garden Birdwatch 2025: when it is, how to take part and birds to spot
This year's Big Garden Birdwatch runs from 24th to 26th January 2025 – find out how to take part, how to submit your results and which birds to spot in your garden.
Its muscles shrivel, its organs swell and it loses the power to fly – the remarkable body transformation of one of the world's strangest birds
Meet the record-breaking black-necked grebe
'Ghost bird' spotted in Jersey sparks international excitement
The rare and secretive bird was caught on a trail camera in the parish of St Ouen.
Police seize 6,000 illegal wild bird eggs from attics and offices in UK's largest-ever raid
Robin guide: species facts and how to attract robins to your garden
The plucky, red-breasted little robin is a winter hero, cheerfully chirruping however cold it gets. Our expert robin guide looks at the robin's diet, nesting and migration habits, plus how to attract robins to your garden.
Secrets of the cuckoo: how satellite tags are shedding crucial light on one of the world's most epic avian migrations
Understanding cuckoo migration patterns – and the dangers these birds face – can help us consider how we might help protect them, say experts.